SMECO Gives Raptors a Helping Hand

SMECO’s concern for its community includes the birds of prey that are vital to the well-being of Southern Maryland’s environment. Owls, ospreys, and other raptors ensure a healthy ecosystem by controlling the numbers of prey animals.

Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative monitors the interaction of wildlife with its electric system and works to mitigate the impact that its lines and equipment have on different species. Crews also lend their skills to provide homes for the birds.

In February, a SMECO crew went to the Allen’s Fresh area in Charles County to replace two nesting houses for barn owls, ghostly faced predators that live year-round in Southern Maryland.  The cooperative had installed the old boxes 15 years ago, and they had fallen into disrepair.

A local member of the Boy Scouts of America, Tyler Neall of Troop 793, selected repairing the owl houses for his Eagle Scout project, working with the Southern Maryland Audubon Society’s Raptor Conservation Committee and SMECO’s Environmental Affairs team.

The job was a natural fit for Carl Freeman, an environmental affairs coordinator for SMECO. Mr. Freeman is also an Eagle Scout.

“I contribute a good deal of my success in life to my time involved with the Scouting program. An Eagle Scout project is an opportunity for the youth to test their skills in planning, organization, time management, and, most importantly, leadership,” Mr. Freeman said. “When I found out the owl boxes were part of an Eagle Scout project, I was excited to be a part of it.”

Mr. Freeman and the Audubon Society scouted the location at the waterfront, where the old owl houses were mounted on poles shared with platforms for nesting ospreys. These platforms were also in disrepair and hadn’t been used for many years.

At the Audubon Society’s request, the crew removed the platforms and shortened the poles so they wouldn’t pose a hazard. The SMECO crew also removed the old owl boxes and installed new owl houses on the shortened poles. They used a bucket truck to mount the first house. Because of the soft ground at the pole for the second house, the crew climbed the pole to install the new house there.

“While we were removing the old boxes, an owl flew out of the second box. Mike Callahan from the Audubon Society instructed us to ‘knock on the door,’ meaning the pole,” Mr. Freeman said. “One of the linemen knocked and a second owl flew out. We opened the door to check for eggs, and there weren’t any yet, so we were able to take down the house.”

After wrapping up the project, Tyler invited Mr. Freeman to his Eagle Scout Court of Honor.

“I have been to dozens of Courts of Honor, but this one was special. Mike Callahan brought a rescued barn owl to show during the ceremony. The owl had her injured wing amputated and can’t be released into the wild. I strongly believe the Scouting program is a net positive for the youth of our community, and that is why I volunteer my time as an adult leader with my local Troop 903 in Huntingtown,” Mr. Freeman said.

A protected species under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, ospreys return to Southern Maryland each spring to raise their young. The birds of prey are tempted to nest atop our utility poles, which can be deadly for the adults and their offspring. Sticks from the nests can also interfere with our electric service by causing short circuits on our lines.

SMECO makes a positive impact on Southern Maryland’s environment by protecting the birds from the hazards on its electric systems.

In areas where the poles attract ospreys, crews install alternative nesting locations. Sometimes SMECO installs a nesting box several feet above the electric lines, and other times the crews recycle a pole that has been retired from active service and mount it nearby with the box on top. The cooperative also installs deterrents next to the lines themselves to persuade the ospreys to relocate their nest to the alternate site.

“Ospreys constantly try to build nests on our poles’ cross arms. The boxes and the deterrents protect the birds from getting injured, and they prevent our system from sustaining damage from the nests and cutting off electricity,” said Tommy Short, managing director of environmental and property rights.

The cooperative’s Environmental Affairs team oversees the Avian Protection Plan, which ensures that SMECO complies with federal and state rules for bird protection. In 2023, crews installed and or replaced six nesting platforms and additionally installed deterrents in five new locations.

Each winter before the ospreys arrive, team members drive through the utility’s service area to update the list of platforms. The team is creating a database of the osprey boxes on the system, with 100 of them cataloged so far, and it places an asset ID tag on any pole with a platform to track it more easily. Most of the platforms are close to the Potomac and Patuxent rivers that provide fish for the raptors’ diet.

If SMECO learns of a nest that is being constructed on the lines, its employees are permitted to remove it as long as no eggs or young birds are inside. By taking quick action, crews can keep the power flowing while ensuring no harm comes to the raptors.

“When the ospreys migrate from South America in the spring, within a month and a half they have eggs in their nest. So it’s important for us to respond as quickly as possible when we discover them nesting on the poles, since we can’t touch the nest if there are eggs,” Mr. Short said. “After they fledge and are big enough to fly on their own, then we can add a platform or deterrent, so they have a safe place to live. It’s amazing that they can return year after year to the same spot.”

SMECO – The Cooperative Difference

SMECO was incorporated in 1937 and is one of the 15 largest electric cooperatives in the United States with more than 170,000 member accounts in Charles County, St. Mary’s County, southern Prince George’s County, and most of Calvert County.

Electric cooperatives are shaped by the communities they serve, because co-ops are owned by their customers.  Co-op members elect the men and women who serve on the Board of Directors. Members share the responsibility of ownership by financing the cooperative’s operations, but they also share its rewards.

At the end of each year, SMECO’s margins (profits) are allocated to members’ capital credit accounts. SMECO uses its profits to invest in new construction, system improvements, and facility upgrades. The Board of Directors regularly evaluates the financial condition of the co-op and determines when members will receive a refund. Since 1937, SMECO has refunded more than $128 million.

As a cooperative, SMECO will always put its members first and be responsive, reliable, and resourceful—the power you can count on.

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